Thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenomas induce left atrial enlargement with subclinical atrial fibrillation: an echocardiographic study

Purpose Thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenoma (TSHoma) is rare but occasionally causes cardiovascular complications such as atrial fibrillation (AF) due to hyperthyroidism. Graves' disease (GD) is a common hyperthyroid condition often associated with subclinical AF. Some reports have shown echocardiographic changes in patients with GD. We aimed to evaluate the preoperative cardiac function in patients with TSHomas and compared the results among patients with TSHomas and GD and control subjects. Methods Patients with TSHomas (n = 6) and GD (n = 20) were compared with control subjects with normal cardiac function (n = 20) based on echocardiographic findings. The average age, sex, and proportions of patients with a history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension were equal in each group, and the AF prevalence was matched in patients with TSHomas and GD. The values of left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVEDs), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left atrial diameter (LAD) were used to assess cardiac function. Results In echocardiography, LAD showed a significant difference between patients with TSHomas and control subjects (p = 0.026). The mean LAD values were 36.9 +/- 7.1, 38.2 +/- 8.9, and 28.7 +/- 3.9 mm for patients with TSHomas and GD and control subjects, respectively. There were no significant differences in other echocardiographic parameters among the groups. Before treatment, serum thyroid hormone levels (free triiodothyronine and thyroxin) were not significantly different among patients with TSHomas and GD. Conclusion We found that patients with TSHomas or GD had enlarged LADs. This finding suggests that AF may be more hidden in patients with TSHomas than previously reported.

Automated summary

Both patients with TSHomas or GD showed enlarged left atrial diameters, suggesting a potentially hidden atrial fibrillation in TSHoma patients compared to previous reports.